Orchid Digest

Slipper Orchids of the Tropical Americas is now available!

Slipper Orchids of the Tropical Americas by Phillip Cribb and Christopher Purver. Published 2017 by Natural History Publications (Kota Kinabalu, Borneo) and The Orchid Digest (Laguna Niguel, USA) in association with Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew, UK)

This is the first monograph in English to cover the tropical American slipper orchids. It is co-authored by Phil Cribb, perhaps the leading orchid taxonomist in the world, together with Chris Purver, Director of the Eric Young Orchid Foundation, on the Isle of Jersey. The Foundation is renowned for its Phragmipedium breeding program.

The first ten chapters of the book cover structure, natural history, ecology, evolution and conservation, etc., of the three main genera, Selenipedium, Mexipedium and Phragmipedium. This is followed by detailed descriptions of all of the known species of these three genera and this makes up the bulk of the monograph. There is also a chapter on natural hybrids and discussion of a number of the doubtful species. The last chapters cover man-made hybrids and their cultivation. The book ends with a complete bibliography and two indexes.

The book is profusely and beautifully illustrated with 36 paintings including the earliest illustrations known in addition to numerous line drawings and distribution maps, as well as excellent photographs of plants in situ and close-ups of their flowers. The book has 281 pages and is hard bound with a dust jacket. This is a limited edition book that is sure to become a collector's item.